Apparatus for ascertaining the required shape for corrective arch or foot supports



June 18, 1957 G. MAKOWSKY 2,795,953

APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE REQUIRED SHAPE FOR CQRRECTIVE ARCHoRsFoggsguf'PoRTs Filed Feb;

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I N VE N TOR 61am lklrownrr Armwr United States Patent f APPARATUS FORASCERTAININ G THE REQUIRED FOR CORRECTIVE ARCH 0R FOOT SUP- 5 GabrielMakowsky, Zurich, Switzerland Application February 8, 1955, Serial No.486,886

Claims priority, application Switzerland February 11, 1954 9 Claims.(Cl. 73-172) The instant invention relates to foot or arch supports fordeformed feet, and more particularly to an apparatus for measuring theextent of the deformity and the required degree of correction to beincorporated into the support corrective of the particular deformity.

Heretofore in determining the design of an arch or foot support fordeformed feet, the procedure has been to make a plaster cast of thedeformed feet and to make the support in accordance with the cast.Another prior known method is to measure the foot deformity with the aidof known devices, compare the measurements with those of the average,non-deformed normal foot, and to construct the supports in such a Waythat they should tend to correct the deformity. In both of thesemethods, the starting point is the foot, and with it the changed bodyposition resulting from the deformed feet, so that actually the mainpurpose served by supports so made was to prevent the deformities frombecoming worse and more marked. Because the Weight distribution at thefeet of the weight of the human body due to foot deformities isdifferent from the normal distribution of such weight with normal feet,such improper weight distribution still is the fact when using the archsupports so produced.

The object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus by whichtruly corrected and corrective foot or arch supports are produced inwhich the body weight is properly and normally distributed at the feetof the wearer notwithstanding the deformity.

A further object of the invention is to provide arch supports correctiveof foot deformities in which the body weight is distributedsubstantially half to the fore portion of the foot and the other half tothe heel thereof.

I accomplish the foregoing, and other, objects in my instant inventionby measuring the weight distribution of the body of the person on thedeformed feet at two transversely spaced points of the sole of thedeformed foot and at one point central of the heel. Then the Weightdistribution is adjusted until half is carried by the heel point andhalf carried equally divided by the two points of the sole. Theadjustment is made by elevating or lowering the individual supportpoints, and when the desired half and half distribution is obtained, thepoint of maximum height of the arch above a fixed reference point isalso measured. Preferably a container or pan is then dis posed on themeasuring points, such container consisting of yieldable material atleast at and about the measuring points so that, after the adjustmenthas been made to the proper weight distribution, a cast can be made ofthe foot as properly loaded by the persons weight. The apparatus forperforming the foregoing sequence of operations has at least threespring support points for supporting the foot, each support point beingprovided with an individual indicating mechanism, from which the weightsupported on the point can be conveniently read, and with an individualindicator of the height of the support with reference to a fixed level.Preferably the apparatus is provided with a fourth spring measuringpoint, likewise adjustable in height, for measuring the height of thearch.

Patented June 18, 1957 My invention will be more fully understood fromthe following description of an illustrative embodiment of the apparatusof my invention when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view, in simplified form, of theembodiment; and

Figure 2 is a top view thereof.

The housing 1 is a rectangular container having an open top within whicha plurality of supports 2. are vertically supported from the containerbottom. Each of the supports 2, of which three are shown in Figure 1 tosup port thereon, respectively, the sole of the foot at two laterallyspaced regions and the heel at one region, inciudes a piston guided in acylinder 4. Cylinder 4, having a closed bottom, is slidable in a fixedcylinder 5 resting on the bottom of the housing. A compression spring 6is disposed within the slidable cylinder 4 and is braced between thebottom of the piston 3 and the bottom of cylinder 4, the interior region7 of the cylinder 4 below the piston being filled with :a substantiallyincompressible liquid. A pressure indicator 8, conveniently located atand sppported on the exterior wall of the housing, with its indicatingdial facing upwardly for facility in reading, is connected by hydraulicline 9 to the interior region 7, the scale of the indicator beingcalibrated to give a direct reading of the weight load applied to thesupport 2. The interior region of the fixed cylinder 5 below the bottomof the slidable cylinder 4 and the bottom of the cylinder 5 is connectedby a hydraulic line 11 to a source of incompressible liquid foradmitting more or less liquid to the region 10, thus varying the volumethereof for a given pressure prevailing therein and hence the verticaldistance to which the slidable cylinder 4 extends into the cylinder 5,that is, the position occupied by the top of the support 2. Each of thepistons 3 carries, preferably aflixed to the top or other por tion ofthe piston where it will not impede the relative movement of the twocylinders, an individual pointer 11' extending through a slit in thehousing wall and adapted to travel over the vertical scale 12 on theexterior housing wall, permitting direct reading of the verticalposition of the piston level. In the preferred form of my apparatus afourth appropriately positioned measuring point 13 is provided formeasuring the height of the arch, which support 13 is constructed thesame as the supports 2 except for the'omission of the pressure indicator8 and the hydraulic line 9, since the weight carried thereby is notmeasured.

While in the foregoing description of the illustrative embodiment I havestated the cylinder 5 of each support 2 (and 13) is fixed, mainly tofacilitate distinguishing it from the slidable cylinder 4, each cylinder5 may be adjustable in its horizontal position and is fixed only in itsvertical direction and level. Such horizontal adjustment permits ofready adaptation of my apparatus to various foot sizes, rather thanrequiring perhaps a different specific unit for different ranges of footsizes.

To measure the distribution of the weight of the person, the personsteps onto the apparatus, preferably placed on the floor or otherconvenient low level, so that his heel and front portion of his foot aresupported by the plurality of supports 2, the foot being thus supportedat three points, two spaced points at the sole and one at the heel. Fora normal foot, the weight should be supported half at the heel and halfat the fore portion of the foot. The actual distribution is read fromthe respective pressure indicators 8. Thereupon the supports 2 whichcarry too great a portion of the persons weight are raised and those notcarrying sufficient weight are lowered, by controlling the amount ofliquid in the region 10 of the individual fixed cylinders 5, forcingmore liquid thereinto through the respective pipe 11 or permittingliquid to drain therefrom through such pipes. The control means for suchvalving of the liquid may be of any known type and is not shown in thedrawing. The readings of the scales 12 as indicated by the pointers 11'are then taken for the correct Weight distribution so obtained, that is,when the heel support 2 carries half the weight and the two solesupports between them carry the other half thereof. Having ascertainedthe foot position for the proper, that is, half body weight each on theheel and forefoot, the height of the arch must be measured. Thismeasurement is by means of the measuring point or support 13, but canalso be by other and known means.

Fabrication of the foot or arch support for the deformed foot is basedon the readings so obtained. The relative vertical positions of thethree supports 2 for the corrected weight distribution are noted asbasic points for the arch support and to them is added as the fourthbasic point the measured height of the arch. The surface of the archsupport is thus constructed on the basis of these four fixed points bytaking an impression of the foot in accordance with which the archsupport, incorporating the necessary corrections to restore thedeformity back to normal, is made.

A particular advantage results from combining the measurements for thecorrected weight distribution with the taking of the cast of the foot.For this purpose, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure l, a tray orpan 14 having a thin flexible bottom 15, for example of sponge or foamrubber or some other suitable material, fits into the open top of thehousing and is placed on the adjusted supports 2 (and 13) the foot beingreplaced thereinto in the measuring position, and the tray filled withmoist casting compound 16 and permitted to harden to form the cast. Thebottom of tray 14 need, however, be made of yieldable or flexiblydeformable material only in the regions thereof over the supports, andthus does not influence the measurements at the supports. In suchregions of the bottom 15 over the supports, the bottom may have openingsinto which the supports 2 and 13 pass, which openings are covered by anelastic yieldable layer of material.

A further modification of the illustrative embodiment is in the use of arest attached to the top of the support 2 for the heel. This rest ismade adjustable in its transverse inclination and is for the purpose ofrestoring the heel to its normal position, particularly in deformitiesor weakness of the ankle, talipes, and clubfoot. Still othermodifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for measuring the distribution at the feet of the weight ofa person comprising a plurality of supports adapted to support the foot,the supports being spaced from each other, and each support including aloading surface adapted to support one region of the foot, weighingmeans yieldingly supporting the loading surface, an indicatorinterconnected with the weighing means to indicate the load carried bythe loading surface, and means for varying the vertical position of theweighing. means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which each loading surface isinterconnected with height indicating means adapted to indicate itsheight relative to a predetermined reference level.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for varying thevertical position of the weighing means is hydraulically operable.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the plurality of supportsnumerically is three, one support being positioned to receive the heeland the other two are positioned transversely spaced from each other toreceive the sole.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a measuring support ispositioned in vertical alignment with the region of maximum height ofthe arch of the foot, the measuring support including an upper surface,means yieldingly supporting the upper surface, means for varying thevertical position of the yielding means supporting the upper surface,and a height indicating means interconnected with the upper surface toindicate the relative height of the arch of the foot from apredetermined reference level.

6. Apparatus for measuring the distribution at the feet of the weight ofa person comprising a plurality of supports spaced from each other'andadapted collectively to carry the weight, each support-comprising apiston, a hollow first, vertically positioned, cylinder having a closedbottom in which the piston is slidably guided, a coil spring supportedon the bottom of the first cylinder and acting on the piston to opposeits motion into the first cylinder, a second cylinder having a closedbottom in which the first cylinder is a slide fit and of a heightgreater than the height of the first cylinder, means for filling theinterior of the second cylinder below the bottom of the first cylinderwith variable amounts of an incompressible liquid, an incompressibleliquid of predetermined amount filling the interior region of the firstcylinder between its bottom and the piston, and an indicating meansconnected to the latter interior region for direct reading of weightapplied to the free end of the piston.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which each support has its pistonprovided with a pointer and a scale supported independently of thepiston to provide a reading of the vertical position of the pistonrelative to a reference point.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the plurality of supportsnumerically is three, one support being positioned to receive the heeland the other two are positioned transversely spaced from, and alignedwith, each other to receive the sole, and a fourth support comprising apiston, a vertically positioned hollow slidable cylinder having a closedbottom, a coil spring braced between the piston and the bottom of theslidable cylinder, incompressible liquid. filling the interior region.of the slidable cylinder, a vertically fixed hollow cylinder in whichthe slidable cylinder is a slide fit and of a length exceeding that ofthe slidable cylinder and having a closed bottom, means for filling theinterior region of the fixed cylinder below the slidable cylinder withvariable amounts of incompressible liquid to vary the relative verticalpositions of the two cylinders, a pointer extending from the piston, anda scale supported independently of the piston to which the pointerextends to indicate the vertical position of the piston, the fourthsupport being positioned in substantial vertical alignment with thehighest point of the arch of a foot resting on the plurality ofsupports.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which each piston has a loadingplatform extending from the upper portion thereof, the plurality ofsupports is numerically three, one support positioned to receive theheel and the other two transversely spaced from each other to receivethe sole, and the loading platform of the heel support is adjustablyinclinable transversely to the length of the foot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,095,268 Roberts Oct. 12, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 648,806 Germany Aug. ll,1937

